Asbestos News
UK farm fire poses asbestos risks
A farm workshop in the UK recently burned down, posing an asbestos risk to those in the area.The farm building in West Sussex needed three fire crews, which came from West Sussex and Surrey, to put it out, reports BBC News.
Complicating the fire rescue was that the building not only contained propane cylinders, which can explode, but asbestos as well.
"The burning materials from the building included some asbestos cement sheeting," Assistant Divisional Commander Steve Clack told the news source.
Asbestos is a serious problem in buildings that are burning, because the flames not only disturb the naturally occurring substance but spread it throughout the area as well. The inhalation of the deadly mineral fibers can cause a number of serious illnesses such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer that attacks the thin membrane that lines the chest, abdomen and many of the body's internal organs.
The World Health Organization estimates that such diseases claim the lives of approximately 107,000 people each year around the globe.
Authorities believe the cause of the fire was accidental.
6/21/11
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